Life underwater
is a dream of gentle swells
sluggish currents & little light
Vision impaired
by the fluid that sustains us
we can only see, at best
a short distance into the murk around us
Half-seen leviathan menaces
drift near, casting shadows
& we pray
that they will pass us by
as we hide in our smallness
& anonymity in the teeming vastness
of our cities
We live for small rewards:
sustenance, shelter, our young
We attempt to clasp hands
with others, reaching out
only to be torn apart
by the gentle, implacable currents
of this world, this life
We strive, through seabottom muck
towards the distant light
where the water grows thin
& we are more visible
to hungry predators, but still we try
despite the warnings of our kin
& our fear to reach that light
& become one with it
Finally we gain the edge of the world
& drag ourselves to the sand
to bathe in the light
not caring that we cannot breathe:
For one exquisite moment,
we can see forever